THE heartache that comes with a loved one going missing is almost too unbearable to bear.

As well as the nagging fear and grief that you may never see your nearest and dearest again and that the next phone call may change your life forever, there comes the hope that they may just walk back into your life as quickly as they slipped out.

For those unlucky enough to be in that situation, the last thing you need is for bureaucracy and banking red tape to come in the way of managing anything to do with the missing person’s life.

So it is great to hear that long-mooted proposals are coming into force which will make it easier for families to access their loved one’s bank accounts and easier to obtain a death certificate.